Kirobo Mini Can't Get You Into The HOV Lane But Will Get You Into Zen

Toyota Made a Tiny Robot To Keep You Company On Your Commute

Toyota bills this as their "vision of a future where humans and artificial intelligence work together for a better world" Enter the $400, 10cm high, packed with tons of cuteness - Kirobo Mini. Toyota says "He can talk to you, gesture at you, and detect and respond to your emotions, but his mission as your new portable friend doesn’t end there."

With people spending an average of 4.3 years of our lives in our cars (which equates to traveling to the moon and back three times) Toyota believes that much can be learnt about our behavior and emotion while driving. And that’s where Kirobo Mini could help. Thanks to Conde Nast Entertainment and NEWSY for a peek into this cool robot driving companion.

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As Toyota puts it "In addition to simply talking and listening, humans and artificial intelligence will be able to engage in emotional communication, including expressions, gestures, and recollection of past events, thanks to research through an open innovation4 method.""The vision is very Japanese where the land and heavens are part of the soul. "The Toyota Heart Project is also conducting research to realize artificial intelligence that grows together with people, intelligence that displays feelings and evokes fondness and trust. The aim is to inspire people, achieve a rapport between humans and machines, and make life more enjoyable and enriching."